West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad
Encyclopedia
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad (WC&P) operated in the greater Philadelphia area in the 19th century. It later became the West Chester Branch
of the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR), and is now called the Media/Elwyn Line
on the SEPTA system.
) in November 1853, and Media
in November 1854. In July 1855 the company experienced a fatal construction accident, and encountered high costs due to construction of numerous bridges. Financial difficulties followed, and work was suspended until 1856, when the road opened to Grubb's Bridge, later known as Wawa
. The remaining section to West Chester
was completed in November 1858. (The WC&P was the second railroad to serve the borough of West Chester. The first was the West Chester Railroad (1831-1903)
, built in 1832 and running northeast to a PRR connection at Malvern
.)
A junction
was constructed at Wawa for the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
, which began construction in 1855 and opened its first section to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in 1859.
purchased the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, and on October 31, 1881, the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad Company was consolidated into the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad Company. All of these lines were controlled by the PRR.
, ownership of the line went to ConRail. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) took over the West Chester Branch from ConRail in 1983.
West Chester Branch
The West Chester Branch was a local passenger and freight railroad line owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later Penn Central. The line connected with the Philadelphia-Washington Main Line at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia-Chicago Main Line near...
of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR), and is now called the Media/Elwyn Line
Media/Elwyn Line
The Media/Elwyn Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia west to Elwyn in Delaware County.Originally known as the Media/West Chester Branch, service was truncated on September 19, 1986 from West Chester to its current terminus at Elwyn. Service expansion beyond Elwyn...
on the SEPTA system.
Construction
The West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad was chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1848 and the company was organized in 1851. Construction began in Philadelphia in 1852, and the road reached Kellyville (now called GladstoneGladstone (SEPTA station)
Gladstone is a railroad station along the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line, in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania. The station, located at Walsh and Madison Roads, includes a 108-space parking lot. Additional parking can be found on the opposite side of the tracks off Scottdale Road, which itself runs along Darby...
) in November 1853, and Media
Media, Pennsylvania
The borough of Media is the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania and is located west of Philadelphia. Media was incorporated in 1850 at the same time that it was named the county seat. The population was 5,533 at the 2000 census. Its school district is the Rose Tree Media School District...
in November 1854. In July 1855 the company experienced a fatal construction accident, and encountered high costs due to construction of numerous bridges. Financial difficulties followed, and work was suspended until 1856, when the road opened to Grubb's Bridge, later known as Wawa
Wawa, Pennsylvania
Wawa is an unincorporated community located in Middletown Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Named for the Ojibwe word for "goose" ,Wawa was originally known as Grubb's Bridge...
. The remaining section to West Chester
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
was completed in November 1858. (The WC&P was the second railroad to serve the borough of West Chester. The first was the West Chester Railroad (1831-1903)
West Chester Railroad (1831-1903)
The West Chester Railroad was chartered in 1831 and began operation in 1832. The railroad line ran from West Chester, Pennsylvania for to Malvern, Pennsylvania, where it connected with the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad...
, built in 1832 and running northeast to a PRR connection at Malvern
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2010 census. The main road through the borough is King Street, although the borough is also bordered by Paoli Pike on the south, and is near US 30 on the north. The primary cross street is Warren...
.)
A junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
was constructed at Wawa for the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad
The Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, which began construction in 1855 and opened its first section to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in 1859.
Consolidation
In May 1880, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore RailroadPhiladelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
purchased the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, and on October 31, 1881, the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad Company was consolidated into the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad Company. All of these lines were controlled by the PRR.
20th century
The PRR merged into Penn Central in 1968, and after the 1970 PC bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, ownership of the line went to ConRail. The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) took over the West Chester Branch from ConRail in 1983.
See also
- List of defunct Pennsylvania railroads
- Chester Creek BranchChester Creek BranchThe Chester Creek Branch railroad line ran from Lamokin Street in Chester, Pennsylvania to Lenni in Middletown Township, until 1972. It was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad , and later by Penn Central. The branch diverged from the Northeast Corridor main line near the now-defunct SEPTA Lamokin...
- Wawa (SEPTA station)Wawa (SEPTA station)Wawa is an abandoned train station adjacent to U.S. Route 1 in Chester Heights, Pennsylvania. The station was a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad's West Chester Branch...